Pretty Little Sitters 2
by eghopper
Summary: Three years after the events of Pretty Little Sitters, so much has changed. But one thing is the same - someone wants to take down the Baby Sitters Club.
1. Chapter 1

"5...4...3...2...1...Blast off!"

A chorus of cheers rang through the room.

"The new Babysitters Club is officially launched!" a giddy voice from behind a laptop computer announced. The screen closed to reveal the beaming face of Charlotte Johanssen.

"Awesome!" Becca Ramsey and Kerry Bruno high fived each other.

"Woohoo!" David Michael Thomas and Jackie Rodowsky did a series of fist bumps.

"Order!" Karen Brewer shouted sternly, perched on a high stool. A huge, purple painted K hung on the wall above her. "Celebration can wait. We have business to take care of first."

Becca and Charlotte exchanged covert eyerolls. At thirteen, they were the oldest ones in the room, but twelve year old Karen was no doubt the bossiest. Karen had immediately declared herself President of the club...which was probably fair since the reboot of the BSC had been her idea...and this inaugural meeting was being held in her bedroom.

"Now that the amazing Babysitters Club app has launched and we are officially open for business, I expect everyone to be completely professional at all times. And that includes social media." Karen glared at Jackie Rodowsky.

Jackie hung his head. The jovial redhead, just two months shy of thirteen, had quite a following on youtube, where he posted videos of himself doing (and failing hilariously at) daring stunts and pulling outlandish pranks. However, Karen had declared it "frivolous" and allowed him to join the BSC if and only if he put an end to his "humiliatingly juvenile" video-making. Jackie, who was saving up for the latest gaming console in hopes of transitioning into anonymous gaming tutorial videos, reluctantly agreed.

David Michael gave his friend a supportive pat on the back. He, too, had been asked to make sacrifices to be part of the club. Up until recently...very recently...David Michael still collected and played with GI Joe figures. Not exactly accepted behavior for a typical twelve year old. It was something he should have outgrown years ago like most of his peers, but he hadn't. He enjoyed making up stories and acting out both historically accurate and imaginitively original scenes with the figures. That creativity undoubtedly made him a superb babysitter – and he loved babysitting. But, according to Karen, it made him seem immature – and that wasn't something she would tolerate in "her business".

Karen repeatedly made it a point to let Jackie and David Michael know that they were lucky to be included in the club. Meanwhile, she had gone out of her way to recruit Charlotte and Becca. Charlotte was great with technology – and Karen's master plan included a custom made Babysitters Club app that would allow clients to schedule a sitter with a few simple swipes on their smartphone. She knew Charlotte was the techno prodigy who could make it happen. Her motivation for including Becca was somewhat more pure – Becca was widely known as the best sitter in Stoneybrook. She was responsible, she was great with kids, she was black and she was available virtually 24/7. You see, Becca was homeschooled. After a series of life threatening events in the Ramsey family, including a horrible car accident, Becca being stranded on an island and Jessi being paralyzed in a freak tightrope accident, Becca suffered from mild PTSD. Afraid her daughter would fall behind in school, Mrs. Ramsey decided to homeschool her so that they could move at a slower pace – and heal as a family.

To round out the club, Karen accepted applications from interested neighbors and classmates. She had narrowed it down to Maria Kilbourne, Druscilla Porter and Kerry Bruno. Karen subjected each of them to series of scrutinizing interviews, including a battery of psychological tests she had pulled from the internet. In the end, ESFJ Kerry Bruno emerged victorious, deemed by Karen to be superior to ESFP Maria and ISTJ Druscilla as a babysitting candidate.

"Science doesn't lie," Karen had insisted. The new BSC was not a democracy.

Beyond the core group of six – Karen, David Michael, Jackie, Charlotte, Becca and Kerry – Karen had named eleven year olds Margo Pike and Myriah Perkins as junior members, which meant they could babysit alongside one of the regular members. Kind of like a sitter in training.

Karen sat back smugly. She had improved upon – nay, perfected – the Babysitters Club template created by her step-sister, Kristy Thomas, years ago. Now that Kristy and the rest of the old BSC were away at college or real world jobs, as the case may be, it was up to a new breed of sitters to fill the child care needs of Stoneybrook. And Karen would make sure they not only met but exceeded all expectations set by their predecessors.

Speaking of whom, Karen hadn't bothered to ask their permission to resurrect the group – and use the Babysitters Club name. In her eyes, she was capitalizing on a respected brand. It had never been trademarked or patented or whatever legal officialities might prohibit its use. And besides, the former BSC members had moved on and moved away. The last thing they were worried about was who was babysitting the rugrats of Stoneybrook.

 _Bzzzz!_

 _Ding!_

 _Beep!_

Six cellphones simultaneously pinged with a notificiation from their custom-made BSC app. Karen, David Michael, Charlotte, Kerry, Becca and Jackie exchanged excited looks. This was it! Their first job as the new Babysitters Club!

Logging into the app, Karen was dismayed to see not a request for a sitter, but a direct message:

 _Dear new BSC,_

 _Disband immediately or you'll pay._

 _With your life._

 _Sincerely,_

 _the new B_

Meanwhile, in five different locations outside of Stoneybrook, five other cellphones lit up with new text messages:

 _Dear old BSC,_

 _We have some unfinished business._

 _Sincerely,_

 _the new B_


	2. Chapter 2

"It's some kind of sick joke, right?" Mary Anne texted.

"Yayabut y did the say unfished biscuts?" Claudia flubbed so supremely even autocorrect couldn't help her.

"It's a trap," Kristy insisted.

"So let's just ignore it," Stacey suggested.

"For now, anyway," Kristy concurred.

"Where Dawn? Krusty did u put he ongroup txt?" Claudia asked.

"Of course," Kristy replied.

"She's been really busy," Mary Anne chimed in.

"Yeah, I bet USC is tough!" Stacey said.

"Gotta go – class in 5!" Mary Anne exited abruptly. "Keep in touch!"

"I gotta go, too," Stacey echoed, "Studying for the real estate licensing exam is no joke!"

"Good luck!" Kristy typed.

Claudia responded with thumbs up, robot, unicorn, martini, sunglasses emoji.

Kristy put down her phone with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" a man's voice asked from the doorway.

Kristy turned to see her boyfriend, Dax Holden, towel around his waist, looking concerned.

"No," Kristy forced a smile. And she hoped that was the truth.

The words of the mysterious text message she had received the night before kept repeating in her mind. Unfinished business...The new B...It had been a few years since their altercation with the original B, who was now tucked safely away in a mental health facility on the other side of the state. So who was this clown trying to take over the sick game? And why?

"Do you have time for breakfast before work?" Kristy asked, determined to dismiss the text as a dumb joke and get on with her life – a life that was pretty darn great at the moment. She was at a great college roughly two hours from Stoneybrook, studying to be an elementary school teacher. And her boyfriend of nearly one year was in his third year of school, on track to be a pharmacist.

"Sure," Dax replied, digging through his duffle bag for clothes. "You know, living out of a suitcase is not exactly an ideal living situation..."

"But I'm worth it, aren't I?" Kristy teased, moving in for a kiss.

It was an ongoing game between the two of them. Dax had been ready to move in after just a few dates. Kristy, on the other hand, preferred to take things slowly. She had a history of bad decisions when it came to boyfriends. And while Dax seemed perfect, Kristy was determined to be cautious...though her resolve was waning.

For once in her life, Kristy Thomas felt completely secure about her future. And that terrified her...

About an hour away, in the fancy, high end part of Connecticut, Stacey McGill clicked her expensive stilettos across the travertine floor in her kitchen as she grabbed her coffee cup from the red Keurig sitting on the polished marble countertop. She sat down at her kitchen table, which was piled with books and papers. On top was a bright yellow paper which read EVICTION NOTICE.

Stacey bit her lip and pushed the paper aside. That, much like the stupid text from the new B, was a worry for another day. Right now, she had work to do.

Just a few weeks earlier, she had thought her life was perfect. She had a man – he was older, mature, rich – like, ridiculouly rich. She had a house. She had a car. She had the life she thought she deserved. But it had all come crashing down.

And now, she had no idea where her life was headed. But she knew she had to do it all on her own...

Just a train ride away, in Brooklyn, New York, Claudia Kishi was digging through a pile of purses, looking for spare change to buy groceries.

"Ramen it is," she muttered, looking at the quarter, three dimes and four pennies in her hand.

It hadn't always been this way. Six months ago, Claudia had a roommate to help her with expenses. But that roommate (a certain boy-crazy blonde diabetic) fell in love and drove off in a new car to a newly leased house in Connecticut to start a new life. Claudia had tried to make it work, but New York City was freaking expensive. Especially on the meager salary of a boutique manager.

To make ends meet, Claudia had, believe it or not, started babysitting on the side. She was working up to sixteen hours most days – and it still wasn't enough. Claudia was exhausted and lonely and unfulfilled. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go on like this. But she felt trapped, with nowhere else to go and nothing else to do...

Twelve hours away, in a quaint college in Illinois, Mary Anne Spier sat in the front row of her anatomy class taking diligent notes. She had been doing so well in school – so well in life, which was saying a lot given the shocking events that had taken place a few years before. She had found out that her mother was not who she thought she was. Her mother was not dead. Her mother was a crazy woman who may or may not dabble in witchcraft. It was truly like the plot of a soap opera. But it was her life.

But Mary Anne chose to run from that life – to attend college far away and bury herself in school work, volunteer work and whatever other activities she could find to occupy her time and her mind.

It had worked so far. But this creepy text from someone calling themselves "the new B" threatened to burst the bubble Mary Anne had created to protect herself from her old life.

She willed herself not to think about it – to concentrate on the class and her future and her new life. But it was too big of a task. Mary Anne continued to fret about it. As far as she had run, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe she hadn't gone quite far enough.

Clear on the other side of the continent, Dawn Schafer swept her long blonde hair over her shoulder as she gazed into the mirror. To her left, a pale brunette applied coat after coat of blood-red lipstick. To her right, a girl in a red wig adjusted her pale pink bustier.

What had her life become?

She picked up her phone and read through the group text she had intentionally avoided just minutes before. She had been avoiding her friends for months, sending an occassional "Hope all is well!" text, just to placate them. But all was not well with her.

Where had she gone wrong in life? Vision of the past swirled in her head. The life she had lived. The life she had planned to live. The person she always thought she'd become.

"It's showtime, princess," a gruff, sarcastic voice brought her back to reality.

So much for California dreamin', Dawn thought as her heart sank, all I've got are California demons...

"Are we going through with this?" Charlotte asked, standing in the gazebo at Stoneybrook Park.

"Yes, Charlotte," Karen replied, deeply exasperated, as she wrapped a streamer around one of the posts. "We will have our launch party as scheduled."

"But who sent the text?" Charlotte pressed, genuinely concerned...and scared.

"Who cares?" Karen snapped. "It was just some jealous troll trying to bring us down. Now, finish the streamers and blow up the balloons. The party starts in an hour!"

With that, Karen stormed off toward Kerry and Becca at the refreshments table.

"Hi-hi," a melancholy voice from behind a nearby bush startled Charlotte. Jamie Newton stepped out, smiling sheepishly. "Can I help?"

"Oh...sure, I guess," Charlotte accepted, somewhat reluctantly. Jamie was a nice kid, but there was something unsettling about him. He seemed to pop up a lot, wherever Charlotte went. And he always had that weird, awkward half-smile. Plus, the strange way he always said "hi-hi" had become so creepy over the years. As a kid, it had been a cute, enthusiastic greeting. But now, at ten years old, it was delivered in a sedate, monotone voice that kind of made Charlotte's skin crawl.

"So you're bringing back the Babysitters Club?" Jamie asked.

Charlotte nodded and looked over toward her fellow club members, hoping they would come to her rescue.

"Awesome," Jamie said without much enthusiasm.

"Hey!" Claire Pike sauntered up, "Can I help?"

"Yes!" Charlotte exclaimed readily, and siezed the opportunity to exit, "I'd better go get some more tape! I'll be back..."

She darted off, feeling just a twinge of guilt and a huge wave of relief as she fled...with Jamie staring after her.

Across the park, Druscilla Porter sat on a bench, sulking. She should be part of this event – not as a supportive spectator, but as a member of the Babysitters Club. According to Karen Brewer, Druscilla was "not a good fit" for the club. In other words, Karen didn't think she was good enough. Really, it should not have been a surprise. Karen had always been such a brat.

Druscilla watched Karen flutter around the park, making last minute adjustments and basking in the glory of her creation...which, Druscilla smirked to herself, was just a rip off of Kristy Thomas's great idea from seven years ago. Not nearly as impressive as Karen would like to believe.

As she waited for the festivities to begin, Druscilla allowed herself to bask in the bitterness she felt. As a dark cloud moved in from the west, Druscilla's spirits lifted. The idea of Karen's party being rained out made her smile.

Yes, Druscilla seethed. Something needs to happen to put Karen Brewer in her place.

An hour later, the new BSC launch party was in full swing. Despite the overcast skies, nearly all the kids in Stoneybrook were there, it seemed. And everyone was having a fantastic time.

Charlotte had a face painting booth set up in the gazebo. Becca and Kerry were manning the refreshments. Jackie was in charge of a pin the tail on the donkey booth. David Michael refereed cornhole games. And Karen wandered around, handing out business cards and listening to parents and kids alike raving about the event.

Karen mentally patted herself on the back. The day could not have been going any better.

And then a deafening scream echoed across the park, so loud and so desperate Karen, and everyone else, could feel it rattle their bones. It was as if someone had pressed pause – the crowd went instantaneously silent and no one moved a muscle. They were all frozen, breath held, eyes locked in the direction of the horrible screams.

"My baby!" an anguished voice wailed. "My baby is missing!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Is there any new information?" Kerry Bruno asked, nervously pacing and wringing her hands.

"No," Charlotte frowned as she scrolled through the Stoneybrook Gazette's website.

Karen sat by the window, in a daze. It had been twenty-two hours since two year old Evie Newton had gone missing from Karen's BSC event. She hadn't eaten. She had barely slept. She was positively sick about it. They all were.

"Poor Evie," Kerry's voice cracked. "I just babysat her last week. I can't believe this is happening."

"Stay positive," Charlotte urged. "They'll find her."

"I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Karen exclaimed, jumping up from her window seat, suddenly empowered. "Let's start a search party! She's somewhere out there! Let's find her!"

And with the power of social media, the idea – and a photo of little Evie - spread to everyone in Stoneybrook within minutes. Within the hour, dozens gathered near the park, ready to search for the child.

"Where should we go?"

"What should we do?"

"What if we find evidence?"

Karen was inundated with questions she wasn't sure how to answer.

"Um..." she stammered, "I-I don't..."

"Break into groups and walk an arms length apart at a slow and steady pace and do not touch anything!" a commanding voice interjected.

Karen whirled around to see her step-sister, Kristy Thomas, along with Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi and Stacey McGill walking towards her.

"And we'll need everyone to write their information on this sign up sheet before we begin," Kristy instructed, waving a sheet of paper in the air.

"Kristy?" Karen gasped. "What are you guys doing here?"

"The children of Stoneybrook are in trouble," Kristy announced stoically. "We're here to help."

"But...school?" Karen asked.

"The semester was almost finished," Kristy shrugged, "I would've been home for the summer in a few days anyway. Given the emergency situation, my professors let me take my finals early."

"My last final was yesterday," Mary Anne chimed in. In truth, she had not intended to return to Stoneybrook for the summer. But when Kristy called, sending up a veritable Bat Signal , Mary Anne felt compelled to return.

"My real estate classes are online," Stacey added.

"I don't have any classes!" Claudia mused. "I had some vacation time at work, though. I just had to come back for the Newtons."

Karen raised an eyebrow at Claudia. Instead of her typically...unconventional outfits, Claudia was dressed in black jeggings, a black v-neck t-shirt and black flats. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail secured by a simple black band. Aside from a silver watch and small silver hoops, she was accessory free. So very un-Claudia, it was almost disturbing.

"Let's get started!" Kristy commanded.

As Stacey and Claudia headed up search teams, Kristy and Mary Anne worked on getting everyone properly signed up and informed on procedure. There were so many familiar faces – the Braddocks, the Marshalls, the Walkers, the Prezziosos, the Arnolds, even Pete Black and Trevor Sandbourne.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mancusi!" Kristy greeted a familiar couple. "I thought you had moved out of Stoneybrook!"

"We did," Mrs. Mancusi replied, "But our house here hasn't sold yet. We still have a few things stored in the basement, so we came back for a few boxes. When we heard about poor Evie Newton, we just had to stay and help out."

"Thank you so much," Kristy told them with a sad smile. It was so uplifting to see so many people lending their time and support. It made Kristy miss little ol' Stoneybrook.

As the Mancusi's walked away, Kristy and Mary Anne were faced with the last patrons in line - Kerry Bruno and Becca Ramsey.

"Hello," Mary Anne greeted them kindly.

They both glared in response, proceeded to fill out the sign up sheet and then walked away without a word.

"That was awkward," Mary Anne muttered.

"Well, of course Becca's holding a grudge because of the Jessi thing..." Kristy reasoned. Although it had been an accident, Jessi and her family still harbored some ill will toward the BSC. And who could blame them? Because of Kristy's outlandish circus idea, and the rest of the group's careless negligence, Jessi's life had been forever changed.

"And Kerry's holding a grudge because of Logan," Mary Anne assumed.

"But you guys broke up years ago," Kristy said, "He's back Louisville for college. Surely she's not still upset."

Mary Anne shrugged.

Kristy frowned. "Well, you're halfway across the country now. She has to understand."

Mary Anne nodded in agreement. She felt bad that Kerry felt bad, but what Kristy said was true. Mary Anne had moved far from Stoneybrook, both physically and mentally.

"Speaking of being far away," Kristy continued, "Where is Dawn? She's coming, too, right?"

Mary Anne shifted uncomfortably and broke eye contact. "Um...Dawn is...I think, uh...she's -"

"My baby!" a voice cried out nearby, interrupting the conversation.

Mary Anne and Kristy watched as Mrs. Newton collapsed in tears, clutching a photo of her youngest child to her heart.

"We have to find Evie," Kristy vowed sadly. "The poor Newton family. Jamie and Lucy must be devastated and so scared."

Mary Anne nodded in agreement, blinking back tears. It was gut-wrenching to see Mrs. Newton, whom she had known for so many years, so distraught. Especially since little Evie had been missing for over 24 hours. Statistically speaking, the prognosis was grim.

As the sun set over Stoneybrook, the search was called off for the night. The Babysitters Clubs, old and new, gathered at Kristy's house.

"We have to do more!" Karen lamented.

"We will!" Kristy assured her. "And, by the way, for the rest of the summer, the former BSC members will serve as outreach for the new BSC."

"What?" everyone asked in unison.

"Parents are going to be concerned – and understandably so," Kristy reasoned, "Everyone is going to wonder if their child is next."

"No one will want to hire us to keep their kids," Charlotte frowned.

"Unfortunately, that could be true," Kristy agreed. "So what I propose is that we assure clients that all new BSC sitters will work in tandem with a responsible adult – aka, one of us."

"Wait...Whoa!" Stacey held up both hands. "You want us to spend our summer babysitting?"

"Not exactly," Kristy explained. "It will be more of an on-call type of thing. If someone is sitting near where you live, you would be the designated outreach sitter for that job. That would involve telephone or text contact, mild surveillance...and accompanying the sitter and charges to the park if needed."

"Like a bodyguard?" Claudia clarified.

"Essentially...yes," Kristy began pacing, her mind whirling with ideas. "We could divide a map of Stoneybrook into grids to determine what clients are in whose jurisdiction. And we can establish a chain of command. And reporting procedures!"

Stacey and Claudia exchanged looks as if to say "Here we go again." Kristy was being quintessential Kristy.

"I don't know," Karen resisted, her brow furrowed.

"You need us," Kristy told her. "The future of your Babysitters Club depends on us."

Karen clenched her jaw, clearly not pleased with the turn of events. She had hoped to do this on her own – to be the one in charge and to get all the credit for a job well done. But there was domineering Kristy, stealing her thunder.

The tension of the moment was cut with the ringing of the doorbell. Everyone rushed to the door, hoping, against all odds, that it was good news related to the search. Or that maybe it was Dawn, finally arriving from California.

Instead, junior BSC member Margo Pike stood on the porch, her face streaming with tears, glistening in the porch light. Mr. Pike sat behind the wheel of his mini-van in the driveway, engrossed in his phone.

"Margo?" Kristy greeted, concern bordering panic in her voice at the sight of the crying little girl. Was there news about Evie? Had another kid gone missing? "What's wrong?"

"I...I have to q-quit the B-babysitter C-c-club," Margo managed to say through her cries.

"Oh no!" Karen frowned, "Why?"

"B-because of m-m-my brother," she struggled to catch her breath.

"Did something happen to Nicky? Jordan? Byron? Adam?" Kristy shifted into full panic.

"N-n-n-no," Margo shook her head, "M-my other brother. M-M-Mike."

The old BSC exchanged looks. Mike Pike was the secret first child of the Pike family. He had been given up for adoption upon birth and had secretly come back to town several years ago. But Mike was mentally ill. He had taunted, threatened and targeted the Babysitters Club, thinking they were responsible for his sister Mallory's death. When he was finally caught, he was sent to a mental health facility on the other side of the state.

"I can't babysit because of Mike," Margo sniffled.

"I don't understand," Mary Anne said. "Mike is far away getting the help that he needs."

"No," Margo took a deep breath. "Mike checked out of the hospital three days ago."

"What?!" everyone reacted.

"Mom and dad said it's not safe to babysit right now," Margo told them solemnly. "No one knows where Mike is."


	4. Chapter 4

"Mike Pike did this!" Kristy insisted only moments after Margo left.

"We don't know that," Mary Anne cautioned.

"Follow the logic," Kristy crossed her arms. "Mike Pike checks out of the hospital three days ago. We all get weird texts two days ago. A kid goes missing yesterday. Is that just a coincidence?"

Mary Anne frowned. "But why would he take Evie Newton?"

"Because he's insane!" Stacey exclaimed.

"Exactly," Kristy affirmed. "It was a crime of opportunity. He wanted to send a message, so he grabbed the first available kid he could find."

"We should talk to each of the Pike kids and see if he's made contact," Claudia suggested.

"Good thinking!" Kristy clapped her hands together. "He forged relationships with Mallory and Nicky in the past. Maybe he's reached out to Nicky again. Or Vanessa. Or one of the triplets!"

Even though it was well after 9pm, Kristy insisted on calling the Pikes right away. Mrs. Pike was very kind and helpful, admitting that her son very well could be responsible for the threatening texts the BSC members had received. Although she was reluctant to believe he had kidnapped Evie Newton, she couldn't rule out the possibility.

Kristy looked pensive when she hung up the phone.

"Well?" Stacey pressed anxiously.

"Mrs. Pike said that the police issued a BOLO for Mike."

"BOLO," Claudia nodded, "Be On the Look Out."

"Right," Kristy continued, "And she said we can talk to each of the kids tomorrow."

"Great," Stacey sighed, "But what do we do tonight? There's a two year old girl out there. Is she hungry? Does she have shelter? Is her diaper being changed? Is she even safe?"

Stacey's last statement landed heavy on everyone. It was something they didn't want to think about. And it was something that kept each and every one of them awake all night, feeling powerless and practically counting the minutes 'til sunrise – when they could get out and do something to try to find that missing girl.

Unfortunately, the next day was not as productive as they hoped. None of the Pike kids admitted to being contacted by Mike.

The triplets claimed that if Mike contacted them, they would "chop his limbs off and beat his head with them", "cover him with honey and throw him at a beehive", and "take him on a one way trip to an alligator farm".

Vanessa seemed equally as angry at Mike, but expressed herself more eloquently, reciting, "Though by blood is his relation to me, my brother he is not and shall never be."

Nicky, Margo and Claire denied having any contact with Mike and gave genuine assurance that they would tell their parents if he ever did contact them.

None of the Pikes seemed to be anything less than entirely truthful.

The BSC was pretty disappointed. They had hoped to make a break in the case – to learn something, anything that might lead them to Evie Newton.

"Maybe today's search will turn something up," Mary Anne said optimistically.

Everyone nodded sullenly. The drive to the park for day two of the search was completely silent.

When they arrived, they were greeted by two men. One a sour-faced, gray-haired detective in an ugly suit and tie. The other a young, fit, handsome cop in uniform.

"Kristy Thomas, Claudia Kishi, Mary Anne Spier and Stacey McGill?" old sour-face greeeted them, his dark eyes narrowing and scanning their faces accusingly.

"Yes?" They all replied.

"I'm Detective Patterson, this is Officer Bilson," he introduced perfunctorily. "I understand you have organized a search party in this park."

"Yes, sir," Kristy replied, beaming as if he was awarding her a medal of honor.

"You can't do that," he admonished. "Not without property authority from the...authorities."

"Oh," Kristy's face fell. "I was just trying to help."

"You're not helping if people tamper with evidence or contaminate a potential crime scene."

"But I googled how to run a search party and I informed every participant of proper procedures," Kristy told him earnestly.

He smirked, "I'm sure google was very helpful, Miss Thomas. But from now on, we're going to run things." He motioned toward Officer Bilson as well as a few other uniformed officers standing nearby.

"Okay. I'm sorry." Kristy readily submitted. She hated being undermined, but she wanted to do the right thing. She wanted to do whatever it took to get Evie Newton back.

As it turned out, day two of the search was run exactly like day one...just with men in uniform sprinked in. And instead of signing in volunteers, Kristy searched alongside Detective Patterson. For Kristy, being in charge adjacent was the next best thing to actually being in charge.

Meanwhile, Mary Anne ran the sign up table on her own. It was quite hectic. The turnout was even better than the day before. Mary Anne was so busy, she didn't even notice someone sidling up to the table to greet her...

On the other side of the park, Claudia searched alongside one of their new "chaperones".

"So, you're in town for a few weeks?" Officer Bilson was saying.

"Um...that's the general plan," Claudia, wearing a plain white tank top with charcoal colored cargo pants and black flip-flops. Hair down, straight. No jewelry. And not a candy wrapper in sight.

"Do you like New York City?" he asked as they walked their search parameter, alongside about thirty other people.

"...Sometimes?" Claudia admitted. "I mean, it was exciting at first, but honestly, I'm kind of over it."

"Homesick for Stoneybrook?" he joked.

"Hardly," she laughed. But maybe a teeny tiny part of her was. Stoneybrook was pretty great, current drama notwithstanding.

"That's too bad," he smiled at her.

 _Whoa...Was Officer Bilson flirting with her?_ She wasn't sure. It had been so long since she'd actually enjoyed the company of a man. But she was definitely enjoying her time with him. And he was definitely a man. Not the college age losers she usually found herself around. Officer Bilson was a real mature adult man.

For the first time in a long time, Claudia felt herself come alive. New York had not just changed her, it had pretty much killed the real her. She had assimilated to the point of completely losing herself and all that made her unique. She had become subdued to the point of being boring.

But in that moment, in the presence of that seemingly perfect man, something sparked inside - the real Claudia was reawakened.

Meanwhile the real Stacey had to literally be awakened. She had fallen asleep on a park bench.

"Are you okay?" Charlotte exclaimed, violently shaking her. "Are you in a diabetic coma?"

"Hmm? Oh? I'm fine..." Stacey rubbed her eyes.

"Good. I thought you passed out or something."

"Just tired," Stacey assured her. "I didn't sleep at all last night."

"Me neither," Charlotte commisserated. "It's hard to stop my mind from thinking awful things."

"I know, but we have to stay positive," Stacey grabbed Charlotte's hand to comfort her. "And we have to get food. I'm starving!"

Charlotte cracked a tiny smile, just as Stacey intended.

They were in the middle of a traumatic event that may very well end in tragedy. No one felt safe. It was a lot to process. And coupled with all the other stress in Stacey's life, it was beyond overwhelming. But she didn't want anyone to know how screwed up her life had become. She was Stacey McGill – the cool girl with diabetes who had such a great life. But right now, that couldn't have been further from the truth. Except the diabetes. Stacey McGill definitely will always have diabetes.

Just as day two of the search was coming to an end, Mary Anne walked hand in hand with a handsome young man. They wandered toward the park entrance. She was supposed to meet her friends there and was psyched to introduce them to her new boyfriend, Alec, who had traveled halfway across the country to be there for her.

Stacey was already there, scrolling through her Instagram feed with Charlotte. Claudia was a few yards away, chatting with Officer Bilson. Kerry and Becca were keeping their distance, standing under a tree, arms crossed, sending horrendously hostile vibes – Kerry toward Mary Anne and Becca toward the entire old BSC. Kristy, David Michael and Jackie were walking toward Mary Anne. Just as they all convened, a murmur went through the crowd, growing with intensity until it reached them.

Officer Bilson approached them, listening to the report on his handheld police radio. His handsome face was dashed with concern as he stood before the group and announced the news.

"Someone found something."


	5. Chapter 5

Someone found something.

Officer Bilson's words hung in the air.

Something? What? A clue? A toy? God forbid, a body?

Everyone was on pins and needles waiting for more information. Minutes seemed like hours until, finally, Detective Patterson stood before them.

"Moments ago, a member of our search party found an item in the yard of a residence. The item, a small stuffed doll, was confirmed by the parents to belong to the missing child, Evie Newton."

A collective moan eminated through the crowd. No one was quite sure if the discovery of the doll implied good news or bad news. The reality was that it gave them NO news. Still, the fact that something had been found was somehow motivating. It meant that there were possible clues out there still to be found. There was still more that could be done. That doll symbolized hope.

"We want to give special thanks to the volunteer who found it," Detective Patterson continued robotically. "Karen Brewer."

A soft round of applause sounded as Karen, standing to the detective's left, gave a small curtsey. Kristy gave Karen a thumbs-up, to which Karen responded with a terse nod.

"Good work, Miss Brewer," Patterson congratulated and then turned his eyes toward Kristy. "Thankfully the police were here to process the evidence properly."

Kristy blushed, less from embarrassment and more from the sheer effort of keeping her emotions tempered. She would have made sure evidence was properly processed under her watch, despite what grouchy old Detective Patterson thought.

A hint of smug satisfaction flashed across Karen's face. She was the hero and bossy Kristy was being reprimanded. It was a glorious moment.

As the crowd dispersed, Mary Anne began to introduce everyone to her new boyfriend.

"Kristy, Claudia, Stacey," she beamed, "This is Alec Ross."

After a chorus of nice to meet yous, the interrogation began.

"How long have you been together?" Stacey asked.

"About two months," Mary Anne answered. She was positively glowing.

"So is it serious?" Claudia pressed.

"Well...I flew all the way to Stoneybrook, Connecticut to surprise her, so I would say it is," Alec put his arm around Mary Anne, pulling her closer.

Mary Anne kissed Alec's cheek. Despite the absolute horror of the situation they were in at the moment, with Alec Mary Anne felt happier than she had ever been.

The next day, the new BSC had its first babysitting job since the abduction of Evie Newton. It was actually _for_ the Newton family. The Newtons were going to do some interviews to get Evie's face and name out to the mainstream media. They needed someone to stay with Jamie and Lucy for a few hours. Charlotte accepted the job.

"Don't worry," Mary Anne, Charlotte's designated outreach sitter, told her on the phone, "I'm just a phone call away."

"Okay," Charlotte replied meekly. She didn't want to admit it, but she was terrified. The Newtons had only been gone five minutes and she was already a nervous wreck.

"I want to play outside!" Lucy begged.

Charlotte bit her lip. It was a beautiful day outside. It seemed cruel to make the kids stay in. But all Charlotte could think about was creepy strangers lurking around, looking for another kid to take.

"Please!" Lucy persisted.

"Um...Lucy wants to go outside," Charlotte fretted over the phone.

"You know, Alec and I were thinking it would be a nice day to take a walk," Mary Anne said. "We'll walk over there and stay for a bit."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Charlotte effused.

"We'll be there in ten minutes."

By the time Charlotte convinced Jamie to come out of his room and join them, Mary Anne and Alec had arrived. It made Charlotte feel infinitely better.

Lucy was content on the swing set. Jamie sat at the picnic table, intently absorbed in playing a video game on his tablet. Alec sat with him, attempting to make small talk about the game. Mary Anne and Charlotte sat on rocking chairs on the back porch. Since both were relatively quiet girls, they rocked in silence.

After several minutes, Charlotte's phone alerted her to a new text message.

 _Babysitting is a dangerous job. Heed my warning._

 _-B_

"He must mean the warning from the previous text message!" Mary Anne recalled.

"How do you know it's a he?" Charlotte inquired.

Mary Anne wasn't sure whether or not to tell Charlotte about Mike Pike. She figured it wasn't her place to, so she just shrugged it off.

"Why does this person care so much about us babysitting?" Charlotte wondered. "What's their motive?"

"I don't know," Mary Anne sat back, perplexed. Then, suddenly, sat up again, alert.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte noticed Mary Anne's demeanor.

"Do you hear that?" Mary Anne hissed.

Charlotte listened. Faintly, she heard what sounded like a child crying.

Mary Anne jumped up and hurried around the yard, trying to determine where the sound was coming from.

"Jamie, Lucy, go inside!" Charlotte instructed hastily. Realizing it wasn't a good idea to alarm them, she quickly changed her tone. "We'd better have a snack before it gets too late. Wouldn't want to spoil your dinner! Wash your hands and I'll be right in!"

By now, Mary Anne and Alec had done a lap around the house. Charlotte was on the verge of panic.

"We can't tell where it's coming from," Mary Anne frowned.

"Let's keep looking," Alec urged. "Maybe in the yard next door?

"That's the Mancusi's old house," Mary Anne told him, "No one lives there right now."

"Wait – the crying stopped!" Alec noticed.

He was right. Aside from chirping birds and buzzing bees, all was quiet.

Charlotte composed herself and went inside to make a snack for Jamie and Lucy.

"I'm going to walk around the house, just to be safe," Alec said, heading around the side of the house.

Mary Anne stood in the back yard, a bit shaken up. Suddenly, she heard footsteps on the other side of the thick hedges to her right. By the time she made her way around the bushes, she was in time to see a figure in the distance disappear into the shadowy treeline between the Mancusi's house and the Bruno's house.

"That's so bizarre!" Stacey reacted later that evening when the old BSC met at Claudia's house.

"Was the person carrying a kid?" Claudia asked, tipping back a box of Nerds and dropping more than a few on her hot pink sundress, which she had paired with strappy black sandals. Not a full-on Claudia outfit, but at least she had reintroduced color to her wardrobe – and sugar to her diet.

"No, I don't think so," Mary Anne replied with a dash of uncertainty. "Besides, the crying wasn't that loud. If someone had a crying child on the other side of the bushes, it would've been louder than it was. It was just faint. Muffled."

Claudia thought for a moment. "Like a recording on a cell phone?"

"Maybe!" Mary Anne considered. "Yes!"

"Who would do that?" Stacey wondered.

"And why?" Kristy was puzzled.

"We need to tell somebody," Mary Anne told them. "Immediately."

"I could call Officer Bilson and tell him what happened," Claudia offered, blushing. "He might need to come by and take a statement..."

The others grinned, knowing Claudia had a bit of a crush, and agreed. Claudia hurried to the next room to make the call in private.

"So cute!" Stacey remarked, glad her friend had found someone worthy. Even if she had not been so lucky herself.

"I still can't believe this is happening," Kristy sat down on Claudia's desk, sending a pile of papers cascading to the floor. "Oops."

Kristy crouched down to clean up the mess.

"So where's Alec?" Stacey asked.

"He had some work to do for a summer class he's taking online," Mary Anne replied. "It's a journalism -"

"You guys..." Kristy interrupted. "What is this?"

Stacey, Mary Anne and Kristy gathered around the papers and began to read Claudia's barely legible handwriting:

 _Noone will ever find out what Ive done. I made sure to leave no evidents behind. Noone will ever suspect me. Why would they? There are so many more suspious people to focas on. Mean while I will be right under their nosses the whole time. The perfect start to a perfect life of crime._

Stacey, Mary Anne and Claudia exchanged wide-eyed looks. What had they just stumbled upon? Was this a confession? Had Claudia kidnapped Evie Newton?


	6. Chapter 6

As Kristy, Stacey and Mary Anne stood, holding the strange hand-written document of Claudia's, the bedroom door opened.

Claudia gasped, "What are you doing?"

"I accidentally knocked some papers off your desk," Kristy explained. "Claudia, what is this?"

"It's...it's...private," Claudia mumbled, blushing almost as furiously as she had at the mere mention of Officer Bilson.

"Not anymore," Stacey pointed out.

"Okay, okay, fine," Claudia relented. "It's a book. A book I'm writing...A mystery novel, actually."

"Seriously?" Kristy balked.

Claudia blanched, "I know, I know...It was a dumb idea."

"No!" Kristy corrected her, "It's actually pretty amazing."

"Really?" Claudia perked up.

"Yes, definitely!" Stacey corroborated. "I had no idea you were doing that!"

"I think that's fantastic!" Mary Anne marveled, looking at the pile of papers. "Can we read it?"

Claudia's face lit up at the enthusiasm and support of her friends. It meant so much to her. She had always been academically mediocre (at best). She had opted not to go to college. She didn't really have any vocational aspirations. She felt kind of aimless. And sometimes even worthless. Writing the book gave her a purpose – something to look forward to and to be motivated by in her otherwise unfulfilling life. Perhaps it was her childhood love of Nancy Drew novels – or the thrilling dramas she'd faced in her own life – but writing mystery stories was kind of Claudia's jam.

"This is really, really good!" Mary Anne commented.

"It's really suspenseful and smart!" Stacey added.

"I'm impressed!" Kristy grinned.

The doorbell rang, cutting the moment short, but Claudia was elated by the praise. She was even more elated to open the door to Officer Bilson, looking even cuter than usual in his uniform. Had he always been so...muscular? Claudia wondered, her heart seizing under the power of a new crush.

Claudia led Officer Bilson to the living room, where he sat on the sofa. Mary Anne quickly sat in one of the armchairs and Kristy hurriedly dove for the other, leaving Claudia no choice by to sit on the sofa – right next to the handsome policeman.

Mary Anne told Bilson everything that happened at the Newton's house. Kristy interjected often with her own theories and commentary. Claudia sat awkwardly, trying to look casual but cute.

"This is really interesting," he told them, jotting down the details in his notebook. "It could very well be the break we need in this case!"

"I hope so," Mary Anne said.

"I really appreciate you calling," Officer Bilson said, looking directly at Claudia and smiling.

"Of course," she smiled back. "We'll do whatever we can to help, Officer Bilson."

"Please," he told her, a twinkle in his eyes, "Call me Derek."

* * *

The next day, Karen Brewer called an emergency meeting of the new BSC.

"Attention!" she bellowed needlessly as she stood before the other club members in her backyard. "It seems that business is down significantly due to...recent events..."

"You mean the kidnapping of a child in our own town?" Kerry Bruno frowned, glancing around at her fellow members, who were seated around a picnic table as Karen towered over them.

"Yes," Karen replied with a heavy sigh. "And so, I think we need to do something to boost business..."

"Seriously?" Becca Ramsey exclaimed. "A child is missing and you're worried about business?"

"I care about Evie, too," Karen huffed defensively. "But we do have a business to run."

"No, we don't!" Becca was positively livid.

"Well...I do..." Karen crossed her arms. "I advertised a service and I intend to do everything I can to make that service available to my clients."

"What clients?" Becca balked. "No one wants to hire babysitters and leave their kids while there's a kidnapper on the loose."

"That's why we need a new idea!" Karen replied spiritedly. "Something to make people want to leave their kids..."

"Are you insane?" Becca gaped.

"No," Karen narrowed her eyes and squared her jaw, hands on hips in a defiant pose. "But I am a good business woman."

"I can't do this," Becca shook her head in disbelief. "This is beyond crazy. I quit!"

"You what?"

"I QUIT!" Becca repeated as she stood up and marched right out of the yard.

"Are you kidding me?" Karen wailed angrily, stomping her foot. Realizing her behavior was a bit on the immature side, she quickly composed herself and muttered, "So unprofessional."

"She's not wrong," Kerry spoke up.

"Yeah, but..." David Michael jumped up to defend his step-sister, "Karen is right. We vowed to provide responsible baby-sitters. If someone needs a sitter they can trust, I think we should be here for them."

"Right!" Karen beamed.

"And, yeah, business might be down," David Michael admitted, "But...if just one person needs us, it's our duty to serve them!"

"A little dramatic," Charlotte shrugged, "But I guess I agree..."

"Great!" Karen clapped appreciatively. "Well, now it appears we're down two members. I guess our first order of business is finding at least one replacement -"

"So sorry to interrupt," a voice spoke from the bushes. "But I might be able to help you..."

Karen, Charlotte, David Michael, Kerry and Jackie whirled around to face the speaker.

Dressed in all black, Druscilla Porter emerged from between two hedges and stood before them...

That evening, across town, Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, Mary Anne and Mary Anne's boyfriend, Alec, were seated at a trendy new restaurant called Eat. It was a locally owned, farm to table establishment.

"This salad is amazing!" Mary Anne announced, feeding a forkfull to Alec.

Stacey and Claudia exchanged amused glances at Mary Anne's uncharacteristic public display of affection. She and Alec were just so lovey-dovey.

Kristy was too distracted by her phone to notice. She had texted her boyfriend, Dax, hours ago, but had not heard back. She was beginning to worry.

"You know," Stacey began to say, "When we -"

"Hey!" Claudia interrupted, peering beyond Stacey, toward the large window at the front of the restaurant.

"What?" Kristy spun around to look. "That old couple that just came in?"

"No..." Claudia frowned.

"The two girls sitting in that booth over there?" Kristy eyed them suspiciously.

"No..." Claudia eyes lingered at the front window.

"Then what is it?" Kristy demanded, patience waning.

"I thought I saw someone looking in," Claudia explained. "It was just out of the corner of my eye, but..."

"Who was it? What were they wearing? How tall?" Kristy rapidly fired question after question.

"Was it Mike Pike?" Mary Anne worried.

"I don't know," Claudia's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "I didn't get a good look. I just saw a figure. In a hoodie, maybe. Dark colors, I think?"

"Let's go!" Kristy exclaimed, grabbing Stacey by the arm and practically yanking her across the restaurant as Mary Anne and Claudia hurried behind them.

"I'll get the check," Alec called after them, smartly saving them from committing a heinous dine and ditch.

The girls burst out the door, onto the sidewalk that lined the various shops of the newly refurbished downtown area. A few passers by gave them annoyed looks as they maneuvered around them.

"Which way did he go?" Kristy asked, whipping her head back and forth as she looked up and down the street.

Claudia craned her neck to look across the street. There were dozens of people milling around, but none of them wearing a hoodie on that warm spring evening.

"Come on!" Kristy led them, power walking down the sidewalk, toward the park as she indiscriminantly called out, "Excuse me! Emergency! Coming through!" at the various pedestrians they bumped into and cut in front of along the way.

"Sorry!" Mary Anne apologized to each person.

"If it was Mike Pike, we have to find him!" Kristy proclaimed, speeding up to a brisk jog. "He will lead us to Evie Newton! I just know -"

BAM!

"Oof!"

As the BSC passed by the health food store on the corner, a customer coming out the door ran right into them, relegating them to a tangled mess on the ground.

Mary Anne looked up, prepared to issue yet another apology, and saw herself looking into the pale, blonde framed face of Dawn Schafer!


	7. Chapter 7

"Dawn!" Everyone exclaimed in unison.

"Oh...hi!" Dawn forced a big smile and tried to play it cool, but inside she was panicking.

"What are you doing here?" Mary Anne dove in for a hug. "You didn't tell me you were coming!"

"Yeah..." Dawn hugged her step-sister back weakly. "I just got in."

"When?" Mary Anne pressed.

Dawn shrugged, "Just...earlier..."

"Earlier today?" Mary Anne badgered.

"So, um, what's going on?" Dawn blatantly ignored Mary Anne. "Why are you guys running down the street?"

"Somebody was stalking us," Kristy explained, continuing to look around like a manic chicken. "We think it might be Mike Pike – and that he could lead us to Evie Newton."

Dawn frowned, "The Newtons have been all over the news. The interview they did last night on channel five was just heartbreaking!"

"Channel five? Last night?" Claudia clarified. "I thought you said you just got into town today!"

"Let's discuss the semantics later," Kristy urged, highly agitated. "We have to go after Mike...or whoever it was that was spying on us!"

Claudia, Stacey and Mary Anne followed blindly as Kristy sprinted off toward the park. Dawn stood behind, watching them go.

 _They can't find out my secret_ , Dawn insisted to herself. _They just can't._

The OG BSC charged into the park.

"Claudia and I will go this way!" Kristy commanded, pointing to the left. "Stacey and Mary Anne, go to the right!"

Stacey and Mary Anne made their way toward the fountain...the dog park...a group of picnic tables full of families. No one looked or acted suspicious at all.

"Maybe Claudia was wrong," Stacey suggested. "Maybe there really wasn't anyone looking in the window at us."

"Maybe," Mary Anne admitted, "But...honestly...I swear there have been times when I've caught something out of the corner of my eye."

"Like, a person?" Stacey asked.

Mary Anne nodded, "With a hood. Just like Claudia described."

"No way!" Stacey scoffed. "That is beyond creepy!"

"And the other day, when I was babysitting with Charlotte at the Newton's house and heard that baby crying, I saw someone running away wearing a hoodie." Mary Anne recalled. "They were kind of far away by the time I saw them, but...they definitely had on dark colors and a hood. Just like Claudia described."

"We need to call Officer Bilson right away," Stacey insisted. "Let's go back and see if Kristy and Claudia found anything."

Meanwhile, Kristy and Claudia were scouring the large playground on the west end of the park. It was covered with kids, but no shady stalkers in a hoodie.

"He got away," Kristy muttered, punching the side of the large, plastic play structure. "Damn it!"

"You should save that for your little sister," a bitter voice piped up.

Kristy and Claudia turned to see Becca Ramsey pushing her little brother Squirt on the swings.

"Did she just suggest that you punch Karen?" Claudia asked.

"It certainly sounded like it," Kristy mused.

Claudia shrugged, "Well, I'm sure she's not the first."

"And she sure won't be the last," Kristy added.

They walked closer to Becca.

"Is everything okay?" Claudia asked.

"Not really," Becca seemed to tense up even more. "I just quit the BSC."

"Really? Why?"

"Karen is completely over the top," Becca vented. "She called an emergency meeting to discuss how to get more business. I mean, a child is missing. How can we be concerned about a stupid baby-sitting club?"

"Yeah," Kristy commiserated, "Karen can definitely be way too intense sometimes."

"It's a family trait," Claudia added.

Kristy shot her a dirty look.

"I just can't care about baby-sitting right now," Becca went on, "I mean, it's bad. The Newtons are devastated. I heard Jamie won't even come out of his room at all."

"We're going to find Evie," Kristy insisted.

"I hope you do," Becca glared for a moment and then looked off into the distance. "And I hope one day Karen Brewer learns her lesson and finds out that the world doesn't revolve around her."

* * *

At that very moment, across town, a cold chill went up Karen Brewer's spine. Maybe it was Becca Ramsey's angry prophecy...or maybe it was the fact that she was standing two feet from the granddaughter of a witch.

Druscilla Porter held her head high as Karen looked her over disapprovingly.

"So, you want to be a member of the Babysitters Club?" Karen scoffed. "What are your qualifications, Druscilla?"

"I like to baby-sit," Druscilla stated simply. "And call me Dru."

"Okay, _Dru_ ," Karen said pointedly. "What makes you a good babysitter?"

"Seriously Karen?" Dru sighed, "I gave you all of that info when I applied the first time."

"Fine." Karen relented. "You want the job and we need a babysitter. So, we'll see how it goes."

"Okay," Dru agreed, unaffected by Karen's harshness.

"Our number one priority is to make parents feel like they can trust us to keep their children safe," Karen went on. "So we are doing a temporary outreach kind of thing...For every job, we are assigned a member of the original BSC as a contact person. That way if you get scared or anything weird happens or whatever, you can call them."

"Yeah...that makes sense," Dru said slowly.

"So, you might be paired up with Mary Anne from time to time," Karen told her, "Would that be awkward for you?"

Dru considered the question. Three years ago, she had found out that Mary Anne Spier was not just a nice, quiet babysitter...she was actually the long lost daughter Dru's grandmother had given up. So Mary Anne was Dru's aunt. But they didn't talk or spend any time together or anything. Apparently Mary Anne was still processing things, whatever that meant. The whole situation was very strange and very uncomfortable.

"Because if it's a problem for you, it's a problem for us," Karen lectured. "We don't want drama."

"It's not a problem for me at all." Dru replied, unwilling to jeopardize her new position.

All that mattered was that she was finally right where she wanted to be – in the Babysitters Club.

* * *

As night fell over Stoneybrook, the original BSC left the Stoneybrook Police Department after meeting with Officer Bilson about the hooded stalker, and went their seperate ways.

Claudia curled up in her old bed, in her old room. It had been such a strange day. From the lows of searching for Evie and being stalked by a hooded figure to the highs of whatever was happening with Officer Bilson, Claudia had emotional whiplash. Of course, Claudia knew the perfect antidote to such a day. She pulled a pack of Twizzlers from her pillow case and curled up with a favorite old Nancy Drew book.

Stacey saw the light in Claudia's room as she drove by. She thought about stopping by, maybe having a sleepover for old times sake. But she didn't. She just kept on driving, listening to the radio and letting the rhythm of the road lull her, distracting her from her thoughts and many troubles. Stacey had hoped being back in Stoneybrook would put things in perspective for her, but it only made her more confused. It reminded her of who she used to be. Who she was before all of the bad decisions and unfix-able mistakes. But was Stoneybrook Stacey the real Stacey? No. Part of her felt like she never really belonged in Stoneybrook. She had always thought her heart was in New York City...but...that never felt quite right either. At that moment, Stacey was more sure than ever that she honestly didn't know who she really was or where she belonged. And she truly didn't know if she would ever find out.

Mary Anne and Alec went back to Alec's hotel room. With all of the terrible things going on, Mary Anne was so grateful Alec was there for her. She didn't want to be back in Stoneybrook. It was a life she had tried to leave far behind. But...here she was, pulled back in. But having Alec there made it slightly less traumatic. She felt so safe and so loved with Alec. And he had a way of making her feel so hopeful that everything would turn out okay. At this point, that hope was all she had. And it was worth holding on to as tightly as she could.

In a motel on the less upscale side of town, Dawn sat on the edge of the bed. How did she end up here? How had her life ended up this way? She had run off to California for the hundredth time, this time going to USC in hopes of becoming a dietitian. But...that hadn't worked out...and she had resorted to some things she wasn't proud of. Was she going to be able to continue to keep her secret? Or was she about to be found out?

And finally, at the Brewer mansion, Kristy prepared for another sleepless night. It was hard to stop her mind from racing – worrying about Evie, going over clues and theories, and now, wondering what was going on with her boyfriend.

She hadn't heard from him in two days.

In their last conversation, via text, she had informed him that she would be staying in Stoneybrook for awhile. Actually, she had used the word 'indefinitely'. He said that he understood and wished her luck, but she suspected he wasn't happy with the news. It was hard to tell through a text. But she was pretty certain he was disappointed, and rightfully so. They'd had plans to spend the summer together. Their upcoming vacation to the Bahamas clearly wasn't happening now. And it was a bummer, but Kristy knew she was doing the right thing. Right then Stoneybrook was where she needed to be.

As she had probably a dozen times already that day, she dialed his number and listened as it went straight to voicemail. She hung up, knowing she had nothing left to say.

I've lost Dax, Kristy lamented, her heart hurting at the thought.

And then, suddenly, her phone rang and her heart nearly sprang from her chest as she fumbled to answer, knowing it would be Dax calling back – finally.

"Hello?" Kristy answered, heart sinking as she realized that the number on the screen was a Stoneybrook area code.

"Kristy?" a small voice asked.

"Vanessa?" It was Vanessa Pike calling.

"They got him, Kristy!" Vanessa said. "The police got Mike!"


	8. Chapter 8

News of Mike Pike's capture spread like wildfire through the town of Stoneybrook. The following morning, the BSCs, old and new, gathered at the Brewer house to await news.

"This is fantastic news!" Kristy enthused.

"If Mike Pike is the kidnapper, that is," Claudia reminded her, adjusting the strap of her neon green jumper, which she wore over a powder blue leopard print leotard. On her legs were white tights with silver stars on them, one purple legwarmer, one pink legwarmer and red high-top Converse. She wore one giant plastic white hoop earring on her left ear and six rainbow colored JoJo bows in her sideswept hair, which had orange and green hairchalked stripes throughout. A bag of peanut butter M&M's hung out of her left pocket while a roll of Lifesavers stuck out of her right pocket.

"Of course Mike Pike is the kidnapper," Karen Brewer insisted, positioning herself before the group, front and center. "He left the hospital, texted us the next day and kidnapped Evie Newton the day after that. Now he's captured and things can go back to normal. Business as usual!"

"Business as usual?" Claudia muttered to Kristy. "She really is a monster."

"I'm confident Mike Pike is behind all of this," Kristy maintained.

"Maybe," Claudia shrugged, "But if I learned anything from mystery novels, it's that everyone is a suspect. If you focus on one person, you'll miss all the evidence pointing to the real culprit."

"Yeah, well," Karen challenged, "I've always heard that the simplest answer is usually the right answer."

"And Mike Pike is the answer that makes the most sense," Kristy cut in as she moved next to Karen, speaking louder and standing taller, literally overshadowing her scowling little sister.

"If he's not 'new B' and the kidnapper and the guy in the dark hoodie, it's a huge coincidence," Mary Anne stated, wrapping her arms around Alec.

Across the room, Dru pretended to be distracted by something on her phone. Being around Mary Anne was so awkward. It never seemed like the right time or place to have any kind of conversation, phony small talk or anything deeper. So constantly avoiding eye contact, let alone conversation, was a lot of work. And dealing with bratty Karen, though a necessary evil now that she had joined the new BSC, was not something she was going to do voluntarily.

Dawn lingered just outside the group as well, nodding and smiling appropriately to seem as normal as possible, but her mind was somewhere else...somewhere three thousand miles away, to be exact.

"Water?" Stacey interrupted Dawn's wayward thoughts.

"Oh...sure...thanks," Dawn accepted, pretending to check her phone again.

"Is everything okay?" Stacey inquired quietly, her face marred by genuine concern.

"Yeah," Dawn answered, her voice high-pitched – a tell-tale giveaway of deception. "Why?"

"It's just that...well...you look the way I feel," Stacey confided.

In that moment, Dawn felt a rush of emotion. She recognized the look in Stacey's eyes. It was dim. Troubled. Tired. It was the look of defeat. And it was like looking in a mirror. Dawn considered telling Stacey everything right then and there. She had longed to talk about it to someone, but always backed down. Maybe now was the time. Maybe Stacey was the person.

Before Dawn could act on her impulse, a chorus of pings and buzzes sounded all around the room. It was the sound of eleven cell phones receiving a text message simultaneously.

 _Originals should not be replaced._

 _New B_

No one spoke. No one moved. No one even breathed for a moment. They were all trying to process what was happening.

"But...how?" Kristy managed to say.

"Mike Pike isn't B?" Mary Anne collapsed onto the couch.

"So...who is B?" Karen asked.

"Someone who clearly does not get irony," Stacey mused. "He's a copy cat B who has the nerve to say that originals shouldn't be replaced? Hello?!"

"Ooh!" Claudia exclaimed, "Maybe the original B used his one phone call to send the text!"

"I don't think they get cell phones to make their one phone call from jail, Claudia," Kristy pointed out.

"Well...I don't know. I've never been arrested!" Claudia retorted.

"You have to call Officer Bilson!" Kristy instructed Claudia. "Get an update on Mike and tell him about the texts!"

"Okay," Claudia agreed, going to the kitchen for privacy.

No one said a word while she was gone. They were lost in thought, trying to come up with an explanation that would make sense. But was there one?

After several minutes, Claudia returned, her face grim.

"Well?" Kristy pressed, impatiently.

"Mike Pike was taken in for questioning," Claudia recounted. "He was a person on interest in Evie's disapperance."

"What do you mean _was_?" Stacey demanded.

"Derek...er, Officer Bilson said they are going to release him," Claudia told everyone. "They do not think he had anything to do with Evie."

"So he's still in custody right now?" Mary Anne clarified.

Claudia nodded, "Mike Pike did not send that text."

"But...but..." Kristy stammered, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.

"He has an alibi for the entire day she went missing," Claudia said. "He couldn't have done it."

"Mike Pike didn't take Evie," Mary Anne summarized. "And he's not B."

Mary Anne began to cry.

"Poor Evie," she sobbed. "And poor Jamie – he's so upset about his sister that he won't even leave him room!

"Jamie's always been very sensitive," Kristy nodded sadly. "I know this is hard for him and Lucy. I can't even imagine."

"Who would do this to them?" Mary Anne wondered through her tears.

No one had an answer. Nothing made sense. With heavy hearts and nothing more to say, eveyone went their seperate ways.

Kristy watched out the window as everyone left. She watched as Mary Anne and Alec held hands. She watched as Alec hugged her, supportively, whispering calming words into her ear. It made Kristy miss her own boyfriend even more.

She couldn't help herself. She dialed Dax's number again, with the same results. Voicemail.

Impulsively, she logged into facebook and went to his page. The last thing he had posted was weeks ago. It was a picture of the two of them.

Desperate for answers, Kristy clicked on his friends list. She had no idea who she was looking for, but she was a mad woman on a mission. It was as if she was trying to find a reason for him to have disappeared from her life. A reason besides herself.

Kristy had a bad habit of falling for bad guys and sabotaging relationships with good guys. Dax was, without question, a good guy. The best guy she'd ever known, in fact. But she often found herself keeping him at arm's length. And now she had run off to Stoneybrook, barely explaining why. He had even offered to come with her, but she had refused. Too independent for her own good.

But if there was another reason, Kristy told herself, maybe Dax had his own reason to avoid her...and maybe it really wasn't her fault.

As if finding some hot blonde chick on his friends list would be better than admitting that she had failed the relationship.

But Kristy was not thinking rationally in that moment. Her broken heart had overpowered her head.

That evening, Mary Anne fidgeted nervously as she sat in the middle of Eat. Last time she was here, she thought someone had been spying on her and her friends through the window.

The obvious answer had been Mike Pike. He had targeted them before. It was certainly his M.O. Believing that he had sent the BSC threatening texts again was easy. Given his irrational behavior and many mental issues, believing that he had kidnapped a child knowing the BSC would rush back to town, wasn't too much of a stretch. So it made sense that he had been the one peering at them through the window as well.

But it wasn't him. The B texts, the kidnapping, the stalking. None of them were him.

If not him, who?

"Sorry I'm late," Dawn plunked her hemp crossbody satchel and cell phone on the table and sat across from Mary Anne.

"Thanks for meeting me," Mary Anne smiled warmly.

"Thanks for inviting me," Dawn replied. She didn't return the smile. In fact, she looked like a child whose parent was making them do something.

"So...how's everything going?" Mary Anne asked.

"Fine," Dawn answered shortly, her voice doing that high-pitched thing it did when she lied.

"Dawn, what's going on?" Mary Anne couldn't hold back any longer.

"Nothing's going on," Dawn looked down for a moment and then, before Mary Anne could say anything more, jumped up and excused herself to go to the restroom.

Mary Anne frowned. If Dawn didn't want to confide in her, she wasn't going to force the subject. She knew her friend/sister so well. Or, at least, she used to. Something was definitely going on with her. About six months earlier, Dawn's usually long and frequent phone calls, texts and emails had become scarce – and the content suddenly superficial and brief. Mary Anne had brushed it off, assuming Dawn was just busy with school. But, over time, Mary Anne began to feel it was something more. And now she was sure of it.

 _RING RING_

Mary Anne looked down to see Dawn's phone ringing. Mary Anne reached for the phone.

"Don't touch that!" a shrill voice shrieked.

Startled, Mary Anne looked up to see Dawn virtually flying across the restaurant toward her.

"Don't touch my phone!"


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't know what to think," Mary Anne lamented as she sat down next to Alec on the park bench. "Dawn snatched her phone out of my hand with no explanation. Then she made up a flimsy excuse and left."

"That is strange," Alec agreed, sipping on an iced coffee.

"She's been so distant lately. Something is clearly going on with her." Mary Anne let out a shaky sigh. "But she doesn't seem to want to talk to me about it."

"Give her time," Alec advised. "Maybe she'll open up to you."

Mary Anne slumped over, mentally and emotionally spent.

The beautiful summer morning in Stoneybrook was tainted by worry and fear and confusion.

"I wish I hadn't come here," Mary Anne admitted.

"I get it," Alec empathized, "But...you're here for a reason."

"I don't feel like I'm doing any good here," she argued.

"Maybe it's time to visit the Newtons," Alec suggested gently. "To remind you why you're here and what's important."

Mary Anne let the notion sink in. She pulled her phone from her purse and stared at it.

"You can do it," Alec encouraged. "Make the call."

As Mary Anne began to dial, something in the distance caught Alec's eye. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he had seen someone duck behind a big tree across the park. He figured it was kids playing hide and seek and shrugged it off.

* * *

Across town, at the Stoneybrook mall, Kristy was helping Karen shop for a birthday gift for a friend.

"The last thing I want to do this afternoon is go to a party," Karen complained. "There's too much to be done. I'm thinking of doing a fund raiser for reward money for the safe return of Evie Newton."

"Oh?" Kristy replied. Why hadn't she thought of that first?

Karen nodded proudly. "You and your friends can be part of it if you want to."

Kristy forced a smile. Worrying about Dax ghosting her had really thrown her off. She was usually the one pioneering such things. But now her own little sister was taking on that role. The role of the leader. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. Proud? Jealous? Threatened?

A phone call from Mary Anne pulled her from those thoughts...for about two seconds, before plunging her right back into them with unrelenting force.

"Visiting the Newtons this afternoon is a great idea," Kristy agreed. One she should have followed through on herself, she couldn't help thinking. "I'll be there!"

Kristy hung up feeling uncharacteristically powerless. She was usually the idea person. She was usually the person getting things done. But now she was being upstaged by a little kid and the most passive person she knew.

"Hey, look," Karen nudged her, "There's Stacey."

Sure enough, Stacey was walking out of a trendy boutique. She was talking on her cell phone. Assuming she was talking to Mary Anne about visiting the Newtons, Kristy walked toward her.

But as she got closer, she could see that Stacey's expression was grim – almost pained. And her tone was desperate.

Kristy, followed by Karen, ducked behind a pillar inches away from where Stacey stood, too consumed by her phone conversation to notice.

"I need more time," Stacey pleaded. "You don't understand...No, she's not going to find out...I haven't told anyone..."

With that, Stacey walked away, still begging whoever she was talking to for more time...More time for what?

"What was she talking about?" Karen asked.

"I have no idea," Kristy replied, watching Stacey walk away.

"Hiding stuff is shady!" Karen proclaimed.

And immediately Kristy thought of Dax. _Yep_ , she thought, _hiding stuff is shady_.

But it seemed to be an epidemic lately. So much so that maybe Stoneybrook should be renamed Shadybrook.

* * *

Everyone was on edge when they met at the Newton's house.

Mary Anne was casting nervous glances at Dawn.

Kristy was glaring suspiciously at Stacey.

But they were there for the Newtons, so all of their individual issues had to be put aside. For now.

"Sorry, the house is a mess," Mrs. Newton said weakly as they filed into the living room. But it really wasn't. A small garbage can was understandably overflowing with tissues, a few half-empty mugs of coffee sat on the coffee table and a few of Lucy's dolls were on the floor by the sofa. Otherwise, everything seemed perfectly tidy.

"It's fine," Kristy assured her.

There was an awkward silence as everyone sat down. No one was sure what to say in that situation. Finally Mrs. Newton began talking.

"Jamie won't come out of his room," she rambled, "He barely talks to anyone except Lucy. But he's eating. He eats in his room and usually has Lucy get him a second helping. So...that's good, I guess...And Lucy's been playing with Evie's toys...I keep finding her in Evie's room, loading her arms with toys...I know they miss her..."

As Mrs. Newton spoke, Kristy felt horrible. This woman was going through one of the worst things imaginable. She clearly wasn't sleeping or eating well. She was just a shell of the woman they had known for years.

Mrs. Newton talked a bit about the police investigation and the lack of any good leads. She voiced her frustrations and helplessness. And then she noticed Lucy peering around the corner.

"Hi, sweetie!" she plastered on a fake smile and forced an upbeat tone. "What do you need?"

"Nothing," Lucy answered, "Just getting some yogurt."

"Yogurt?" Mrs. Newton furrowed her brow, "You don't like yogurt."

"It's for Jamie," Lucy replied.

"Oh, but you got the wrong yogurt," Mrs. Newton told her. "That's one of Evie's yogurts. Jamie's is the one with superheros on the package."

Lucy shrugged, "He really wanted the strawberry flavor."

Mrs. Newton nodded, tears wetting her bloodshot, tired eyes. "Evie's not here to eat it anyway..."

Lucy scurried upstairs.

"It's a struggle," Mrs. Newton told the BSC. "I don't know how to be a good mom to Jamie and Lucy when all of my waking hours are spent worrying about Evie."

"The BSC would love to have a fund raiser," Kristy blurted out. "We want to raise reward money for the safe return of Evie."

Mrs. Newton smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "Thank you. That's wonderful."

Kristy knew she had blatantly ripped off Karen's idea, but she couldn't help it. In that moment, Mrs. Newton needed it. And, after all, Karen had said Kristy and her friends could be involved, so...Kristy involved herself by pitching the idea to Mrs. Newton. Karen wouldn't mind...

* * *

That night, Kristy had the BSC over to the Brewer mansion for an emergency meeting to plan the fund raiser. But that wasn't all Kristy had in mind. All day, she had been bothered by the shady telephone conversation she'd witness Stacey having.

As Kristy looked around at her friends, seated around the dining table, she felt uneasy. Almost paranoid.

Perhaps she was jaded by all she had been through, but Kristy suddenly felt as though no one could be trusted. Dax was acting strange. Dawn was acting strange. Stacey was acting strange. Claudia was acting strange. Heck, Kristy herself was acting strange. And maybe she was overcompensating a bit for being a crummy leader lately, but Kristy was hell bent on taking action. Strong action. Immediate action.

"Before we discuss the fund raiser," she began, "I would like to propose installing tracking apps on all of our phones."

"What?" Stacey balked. "Seriously?"

"Why?" Dawn asked.

"Safety. Security. Convenience..." Kristy listed smugly. "Should I go on?"

Stacey frowned. "So...you want to spy on all of us?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Kristy argued. Though...it kinda was.

"Geez, Kristy," Stacey became increasing incensed, "We're adults now and you're still trying to control us."

"That's not what I'm doing," Kristy insisted. "I just think that while this new B is out there and there's a kidnapper on the loose, we should have a way to keep tabs on each other."

"I think it makes sense," Mary Anne spoke up. "I know I would feel safer..."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "No way. It's an invasion of privacy!"

"Yeah!" Stacey nodded in emphatic agreement.

"That's not my intent at all!" Kristy exclaimed.

"This is ridiculous!" Stacey muttered. "I'm all for doing this fund raiser for the Newtons, but I am not talking about this nonsense anymore."

"Why?" Kristy challenged, "Do you have something to hide?"

Stacey shot Kristy a look – a look of anger laced with guilt. In that moment, Kristy knew Stacey really, truly was hiding something. Just as she had suspected. The confirmation felt like a victory, though Kristy realized it really shouldn't.

"None of us owe you anything, Kristy," Dawn railed. "Our lives are none of your business. I agree with Stacey."

Kristy narrowed her eyes. "Well, I guess it's two against two, then. Mary Anne and me versus Stacey and Dawn. Claudia, it's up to you to break the tie."

"Hmm?" Claudia, who had been consumed in eating a king sized Kit Kat bar dipped in Nutella, looked stunned. Her off-the-shoulder orange sweatshirt had the sleeves cut short and was bedazzled with silver sequins in the shape of a flamingo. It was layered over a green and blue tie dyed tank top. She wore vintage Jams from the '80's with palm leaves in all colors of the rainbow, and wore wooden Candies clogs. She had a bright green watch around her ankle. Her hair was randomly clipped back with about sixteen tiny hair clips – approximately six purple, three pink, two blue, two orange, one red, one white and one clear. LOL dolls fashioned into earrings hung from her ears. On her wrist, a single, white, plastic bracelet.

"Whoa!" Dawn stood up, indignant. "This is not a democracy, Kristy. We are individuals who can make our own decisions. I don't care if everyone else in the BSC wants tracking apps, I'm NOT doing it."

"Me neither!" Stacey stood up as well, forming a united front with Dawn.

"But it's for a good reason!" Kristy continued to insist.

"This is ridiculous!" Stacey rolled her eyes. "I really thought you had mellowed out, Kristy. But you're as domineering as ever."

"She's just trying to help," Mary Anne defended.

"Well," Dawn snatched up her purse and phone. "There are other ways to do it."

With that, she walked out of the room, toward the front door. Stacey marched out right behind her.

"Wait!" Kristy called out, "We haven't discussed the Newton's fund raiser yet! I told Mrs. Newton I'd call her tomorrow with our plans!"

Kristy darted out of the room after them and ran right into Karen, who was standing right outside the dining room...and had heard everything.

"Fund raiser for the Newtons?" Karen repeated. "That's MY thing."

"Not now, Karen," Kristy dismissed, trying to chase after the friends she had just alienated.

"You stole my idea!" Karen wailed, stepping in front of Kristy to block her. "I can't believe you!"

And, with that, Kristy watched the little sister she had just alienated stomp up the stairs.

Not sure who to follow and grovel to, Kristy collapsed onto the floor right there and began to sob.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm sorry."

The simple, succinct text went out from Kristy's phone. To Stacey. To Dawn. To Karen. To Dax.

There was so much more to say – so many things she'd mentally drafted during yet another sleepless night. But the most important sentiment was the apology. The completely genuine apology.

Kristy typically wouldn't dream of apologizing for being herself. She was who she was. Her personality was strong, bossy, some might say abrasive...But this time, she had to admit, she had crossed the line, getting caught up in pushing her own agenda without listening to anyone else's ideas or feelings. One by one, people she loved were dropping out of her life. It was a wake up call.

"You know you could just come to my room and say it to my face," Karen, having just received the text, appeared in the doorway, arms crossed in exaggerated indignation.

"I wasn't sure you'd want to see me," Kristy admitted. "And I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."

"You keep butting in on everything," Karen lectured. "You took over MY Babysitters Club, you took over MY search party meeting and you took credit for MY fund raiser idea."

"I was wrong. I'm sorry."

Karen glared for a moment, making Kristy squirm a bit. "I accept your apology."

"And I promise I'll step aside and let you do your thing," Kristy promised.

"Actually..." Karen gave a gentle smile. "I was thinking about it all night, and I could really use your help with the fund raiser."

"Really?" Kristy perked up.

"Yes," Karen nodded. Then her faced turned serious, "But don't get any ideas, I'm the one in charge."

"Deal," Kristy agreed.

"Wanna take me to the park to scout locations?"

"Definitely!"

"Be ready in ten minutes!" Karen instructed.

Kristy couldn't help but smile. She wasn't used to taking orders, but she was really proud of her little sister for being so bold and strong and entreprenuerial and...so Kristy-like. And she was relieved that one of the people she had wronged had forgiven her. She hoped the other three wouldn't be far behind.

And then her phone rang.

Dax's name appeared on the screen.

Kristy couldn't answer fast enough. "Dax!"

"Hello," an unfamiliar voice greeted. "I found this phone in the park and you were the most recent contact..."

"Oh..." Kristy's heart sank. "Where exactly did you find the phone?"

"At the park," the person replied, "Across from Stoneybrook Elementary."

"Did you say Stoneybrook Elementary?" Kristy clarified, "As in Stoneybrook, Connecticut?"

"Yes, that's right."

Kristy's heart stopped. Dax lived hours away. What was his phone doing in Stoneybrook?!

"I cannot deal with her right now," Stacey grumbled, deleting Kristy's text and pushing her phone away. She turned her attention to her fruit salad as she sat in the corner booth at Stoneybrook Diner.

"She had good intentions," Claudia shrugged, taking a bite of a chocolate glazed doughnut with rainbow sprinkles that matched her vertically striped rainbow sundress, orange gladiator style jelly shoes, red beret, four green and purple slap bracelets, yellow sunflower print scarf and blue chandelier earrings. "Don't be too hard on her."

"Maybe I could overlook her domineering ways when we were kids," Stacey sighed. "But we're adults now. There are boundaries..."

"I know, but this is a really unique situation."

"I just have so much on my mind right now..." Stacey's voice trailed off.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Claudia asked. She was aware that her old friend had become distant and secretive lately, but they would always have that special best friend bond.

Stacey seemed to mentally grapple with whether to confide in Claudia. But with a furrowed brow and slight frown, she shook her head vigorously.

"Hey, isn't that Mary Anne's boyfriend?" Claudia peered out the window at a figure standing at the corner, waiting to cross the busy street.

"It is!" Stacey confirmed. "He's really cute! Perfect for Mary Anne!"

"Yeah, he..." Claudia suddenly gasped. "What's he holding?"

Stacey gasped as well.

In Alec's hand was – just like the mysterious figure that had peered through the restaurant window at them just days ago had worn – a black hoodie.

Nearby at a vegan coffee shop, Dawn rolled her eyes as she read Kristy's text.

She knew she shouldn't have come to town.

She began looking up flights back to California for later that day. The fares were outlandishly expensive, of course. Too expensive. She'd defintely be staying in Stoneybrook at least few days more.

She tossed back her head and let out a disgruntled sigh.

"You look like you could use a refill," a cute waiter clearing a table nearby said.

"That would be awesome," Dawn accepted.

"Coming right up," the waiter replied with a wink.

Was he flirting? It seemed that way. And, needing the distraction, Dawn felt particularly receptive.

A few minutes later, he returned with another vegan latte.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Dawn was caught off guard by the request. But she was certainly flattered.

"I get a ten minute break," he told her, "And you look like you could use some company."

To be honest, Dawn did not really want company. She had so much to think about. But this guy was seriously good looking. So she nodded and smiled.

"I'm Sebastian."

"I'm Dawn."

"This may seem a bit forward," Sebastian told her, "But I believe that people should look out for one another, whether we know each other or not."

"That's nice," Dawn sipped her latte, getting a little lost in Sebastian's wavy caramel hair and adorable dimples.

"I didn't, like, make that up myself. I follow this blog that's been seriously life changing," he explained. "It's a collections of letters from a guy from Stoneybrook."

"Oh?" Dawn was intrigued.

"Yeah, he believes in people making connections and watching out for each other and sharing our humanness." Sebastian, truly moved by his own words, placed his hand on Dawn's as he spoke and looked deep into her eyes. "Everyone's souls are intertwined, sharing this earth and navigating this world and enduring circumstances we have no control over."

"Sounds pretty great!" Dawn felt butterflies in her stomach. She could absolutely make a connection with this guy. The things he was saying – and the way he was saying them – felt really right, making Dawn immediately feel less lonely and lost.

"The blog is amazing!" Sebastian enthused. "You should check it out!"

"I will!" Dawn grinned. "What's it called?"

"A Brother's Wisdom," Sebastian answered. "This guy has had a really screwed up life, but it's made him really see the world in a unique way."

"Sounds like an interesting blog," Dawn nodded as she listened intently to her new crush.

"Oh, it's more than a blog – it's a movement!" Sebastian leaned in closer, his eyes and words brimming with excited intensity. "It's new, but lots of people are really into it."

"Awesome."

"So are you from here?" he asked.

"Yes and no," Dawn replied. "I kinda split my time between Connecticut and California."

"Cool," Sebastian smiled. "I just moved here from Sea City."

"I love Sea City!" Dawn exclaimed.

Dawn and Sebastian chatted for a few more minutes.

"I really should be going," Dawn announced reluctantly. "But it was great to meet you."

"You, too, Dawn." Sebastian's eyes sparkled. "I hope you'll be back soon."

"Definitely," she batted her eyes and gave her best flirty smile as she walked away.

Sebastian, noticing he had two minutes left on his break, pulled out his phone and accessed the blog he had just told Dawn about.

 _A Brother's Wisdom: The Teachings of Mike Pike_

Across town, Mary Anne paced back and forth, checking and rechecking her phone.

She had been trying to get in touch with Alec for over an hour. He wasn't in his hotel room. He wasn't answering his phone. Where in Stoneybrook could he be?

"Augh!" Mary Anne wailed when the phone finally rang, startling her. She was so anxious to answer, she fumbled the device for a moment before composing herself.

It wasn't Alec.

It was Dru, aka Druscilla Porter, aka her neice. As fate would have it, Mary Anne was her designated outreach sitter that day.

"Hello," Mary Anne answered pleasantly. Her relationship with Dru was awkward, which was probably to be expected since Dru's beloved grandmother was recently revealed to be Mary Anne's mother. And Mary Anne wasn't exactly close with her newly discovered mother – in fact, she had grown up thinking she was a witch...So forging a relationship with Dru was almost too complicated to consider.

"Mary Anne? It's Dru," a shaky voice began. "I...um...I'm babysitting for Brynn and CJ Rivers...and, uh, I...I...It's right across the street from the Newton's house and...I...I..."

"Would you like me to come over?" Mary Anne offered, sensing fear in Dru's voice.

"Yes." Dru sounded relieved. "Please."

As Mary Anne drove past various parks and playgrounds, she noticed how empty they were. In light of Evie's disappearance, people weren't letting their kids go out to play. It was so sad. Stoneybrook, on a beautiful summer day, looked like a ghost town.

Mary Anne pulled up to the Rivers house. No wonder Dru was so nervous. You could see the Newton's house from the front yard. It was easy to worry that Evie's kidnapper was lurking around, on the prowl for more children.

A shudder went down Mary Anne's spine as she got out of the car. Something wasn't quite right.

Twenty minutes later, the police were combing the area. Kristy could see them from the park nearby, where Karen was scouting locations for her fund raiser.

"Let's go see what's going on," Kristy suggested.

She and Karen were stopped at the corner. The police wouldn't let them by and wouldn't tell them what was going on. But they saw Dru, standing in the yard with a peculiar look on her face. Mary Anne's car was in the driveway, being carefully inspected by two cops.

"Dru!" Karen called.

Dru sauntered over, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What happened?" Kristy asked.

"I don't know. But Mary Anne is missing!"


	11. Chapter 11

"This is seriously messed up," Dawn lamented. "They won't tell us anything!"

"It's because they don't know anything," Stacey fretted. "Somewhere between her car and the front door, Mary Anne just disappeared."

"That's not possible!" Kristy exclaimed.

The four friends paced back and forth on Bradford Court, brimming with nervous energy. The wretched fear that their friend may have suffered the same fate as Mallory Pike was too much to face. All they could do was try desperately to solve the mystery, focusing only on the outcome of finding Mary Anne safe and sound. Even the notion of any other perceivable outcome was unacceptable.

"Has anyone talked to Alec?" Claudia asked.

"I'm sure the police have," Kristy replied. "Do you think we should call him?"

"I don't know..." Claudia shifted uneasily. "This morning Stacey and I saw him walking through town...and he was carrying a black hoodie."

"Did you tell the police?" Kristy stopped in her tracks, alarmed.

"Of course I did," Claudia assured her, "But I don't know how seriously they took it."

"It's not a crime to own a black hoodie," Dawn pointed out. "Has Alec done anything else suspicious?"

"Not that we know of," Claudia admitted. "I just get the feeling that maybe he's hiding something."

"He might as well be," Kristy snarked, "Everybody else is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stacey asked, realizing Kristy was looking in her direction with accusing eyes.

"Every time I turn around, somebody is doing something shady," Kristy complained. "Dawn's acting like a stranger, Stacey's making weird phone calls at the mall, Dax is ghosting me but someone found his phone here in Stoneybrook...I just don't know what the hell is going on anymore."

"You were spying on me at the mall?" Stacey was livid.

"Not intentionally, really. But I did overhear a conversation that was highly suspicious." Kristy narrowed her eyes. "What was it you said? _'She'll never find out._ ' Or something of that nature."

"Lurking around and eavesdropping on private conversations is pretty shady, Kristy," Stacey deflected.

"Maybe it is," Claudia chimed in, "But it's not like you've been exactly open about your life lately, Stace."

"And neither has Dawn!" Kristy reminded everyone.

"Maybe that's because everything in our life isn't your business, Kristy!" Dawn snapped.

"But friends shouldn't act like strangers!" Kristy insisted. "Yes, some things are private, but honestly, I have no idea who either of you are anymore. And now Mary Anne is missing and I feel like I'm here with a bunch of people who look pretty darn familiar, but are complete strangers to me. And I just need my friends!"

With that, Kristy broke down.

And then Claudia began to cry.

And then Stacey.

And then Dawn.

With the weight of the situation upon them, their defenses had finally weakened. The facades were crumbling. The babysitters were about to get real.

"I'm sorry," Stacey sniffled. "You're right. I'm just so ashamed of how things turned out for me."

"I thought you were living in a big, expensive house with your rich, older boyfriend," Claudia said.

"I was..." Stacey sighed. "But apparently he wasn't willing to leave his wife for me."

Everyone gasped.

"Yeah," Stacey looked down in shame, "I was the mistress. I fell for his lines. His lies. He bought me a house and a car. But when we broke up, he had me evicted and ended the lease on my car. So now I have nothing."

"Oh, Stace," Claudia rubbed Stacey's arm.

"I promise I never would've gotten involved with him in the first place if I had known he was married. He said he was separated and just strung me along for so long. He always had an excuse for why the divorce wasn't final yet. And when I gave him an ultimatum, he admitted he had lied about being separated."

"That's not your fault," Kristy assured.

"But it is," Stacey wiped her eyes. "I suspected it for awhile before I confronted him. I...I guess I was in denial or just afraid to know the truth. But...I just lived in the charade even when I knew it was wrong. Because I thought I loved him and I wanted to believe him."

"It's okay," Claudia said. "You made a mistake but you ended up doing the right thing. You can forgive yourself now."

"I don't know if I can," Stacey whimpered.

"Why not?" Kristy asked.

"Because," Stacey took a deep, shaky breath. "He was my boss."

The girls emitted a collective gasp.

"And of course he fired me, so now I have no job. No place to live. I have nothing. And no one. What am I going to do?" Stacey stopped fighting back tears and let herself cry as her friends held her. "This is too much. All of this is too much."

"You've got us," Claudia told her. "We are here for you and we will be, no matter what."

"It's going to be okay," Kristy insisted, emboldened. "We can sue his ass for sexual harassment!"

Stacey nodded. "Yeah...maybe I should before he does the same thing to another girl."

"I feel pretty stupid now," Dawn spoke up.

"Why?" Stacey asked.

"Because all this time I've been so angsty about my life," Dawn began. "I thought the secret I was keeping was so bad...but now I see that, compared to people with real problems, I've just been a self-absorbed, narrow-minded idiot who couldn't see beyond herself."

Everyone's interest was piqued.

"You see," Dawn continued, "I dropped out of USC after one year. I just wasn't into it. I couldn't decide on a major and I didn't know what to do with my life. It just wasn't for me."

"That's normal," Claudia shrugged. "College isn't for everyone."

"I know," Dawn agreed. "But what I did for money when I dropped out was the part I was embarassed about. I mean, California is expensive. Renting an apartment, buying all organic, vegan groceries, buying a eco friendly car, paying off student loans for the education I ended up not getting...I needed money and I needed it fast."

"That's understandable," Kristy encouraged.

"It turned out that my rooommate knew this guy...and he was looking to hire a girl...and I fit the description of what he was looking for perfectly..." Dawn paused, looking at the ground in shame. "The money was good, so I took the job."

"Oh, Dawn..." Stacey began. "Are you a...a...um...call girl?"

"Exotic dancer?" Kristy guessed.

" _Adult film star_?" Claudia whispered.

"No! You guys!" Dawn covered her face in utter humiliation. "I'm Rapunzel at Disneyland."

Silence.

"You're Rapunzel. At Disneyland." Kristy repeated.

"Yes," Dawn blushed. "I dropped out of college to be a Disney princess."

"That is..." Claudia searched for the right words, "Freakin' awesome!"

"You really think so?" Dawn was stunned.

"Um...yes!" Stacey chimed in.

"It's pretty cool, Dawn," Kristy agreed.

"Wow," Dawn hung her head. "See, guys? I seriously thought I was a loser for dropping out and taking this dead end job being a character at a theme park. That's how small my world is. I couldn't see beyond my own judgmental ways and just accept myself."

"Real world problems really put things in perspective, huh?" Kristy commisserated.

"Yeah," Dawn replied. "My problems seem pretty small after all."

"I have to say," Stacey spoke up, "Just talking about all of this – saying it out loud – kinda makes me feel better about it. Hiding it made it worse. Lonlier, I guess."

"Yeah," Dawn nodded. "I feel the same way."

"We've all had ups and downs over the years," Claudia said, "But every time we come together, our friendship makes everything seem a little easier."

"I'm so grateful for you guys," Dawn pulled everyone in for a group hug.

"We all need each other more than ever now," Kristy stated glumly. "We need to stay strong and find Mary Anne and Evie."

"Mary Anne," Dawn wept, "I always joked that she was the little sister I never wanted."

"Wait a second..." Claudia popped up, as if electrified by a bolt of lightning. "That could be it!"

"What?" everyone demanded.

"Remember when Mrs. Newton had Lucy? SHE was the little sister Jamie never wanted," Claudia explained. "He was really young, then, but he actually tried to give Lucy away, right?"

"Yeah," Kristy recalled, "I definitely remember that."

"Now his mother had another little sister," Claudia continued, "But now Jamie's older, smarter...What if he took things a step further this time? What if he kidnapped Evie?"

"That's ridiculous," Dawn reacted. "Isn't it?"

"Think about it," Claudia maintained. "When we visited the Newtons, we learned that Jamie was staying in his room all the time, but eating a lot. And then Lucy came and got yogurt for Jamie, who doesn't like yogurt."

"But Evie does!" Kristy began pacing as she connected the dots. "Claudia, you might be onto something!"

"How would Mrs. Newton not know her own child was in the house this whole time?" Dawn questioned.

"I guess Jamie's done a really good job of covering his tracks," Kristy supposed. "But not good enough for the Babysitter's Club!"

Dawn shook her head, "This is too crazy to be true."

"But that doesn't mean it isn't!" Kristy insisted.

"I'm calling Derek!" Claudia announced and then blushed. "I mean...Officer Bilson."

"Let's go to the Newton's house. Now!" Kristy commanded.

Arriving in record time, Kristy flung open the car door and sprinted to the house. Forgoing the doorbell, she proceeded to pound on the door relentlessly.

"Kristy! Stop!" Claudia reprimanded.

"This is an emergency!" Kristy insisted.

"This is a theory," Claudia admonished. "Just a theory. We cannot get the Newton's hopes up."

"You're right," Kristy admitted, feeling foolish. She always let herself get carried away with big ideas, elaborate plans and an unrelenting need to be the hero. It was a personality trait that had so often been her downfall, costing her friendships and fracturing relationships. But it was Kristy. Classic Kristy.

Before anyone could think of a valid cover up excuse for the violent door knocking, Mrs. Newton swung open the door. She was visably alarmed.

"Mrs. Newton..." Kristy stammered. "I...uh...I-I'm sorry for, um..."

"I just heard about Mary Anne!" Mrs. Newton ushered them in. "Do you think her disappearance is related to Evie's? Is that why you're here?"

"Oh!" Claudia began to nod. "Yes...yes...That's why we're here...pounding so urgently on your door."

"Yeah," Stacey jumped in, "To compare evidence and...stuff..."

"Right," Dawn followed along. "So, would you mind sitting down and telling us everything one more time?"

Mrs. Newton complied, leading Stacey, Dawn and Kristy to the couch. Meanwhile, Claudia inconspicuously detoured upstairs. She crept down the hall to Jamie's room and put her ear to the door to listen.

Nothing.

But then a creak at the far end of the hall caught her attention. It sounded as if it was coming from the linen closet.

Feeling just like a character in one of her favorite mystery novels, Claudia quietly made her way down the hall. She opened the closet door. Nothing but towels and bed sheets.

With a heavy exhale of disappointment, Claudia began to close the door.

 _What would Nancy Drew do?_ She asked herself.

And then she noticed something. A small, square panel on the back wall. She recognized it instantly as an access door to the attic. And Claudia knew a thing or two about that, not only from all the mystery novels she'd read, but also from having hidden a bulk case of Twizzlers in her own attic back in high school.

Suddenly all the details converged. All the dots connected. When Mary Anne and Charlotte had babysat and heard the distant cries of a baby, it was coming from the attic. When Jamie was supposedly spending time in his room and eating lots of food, he was actually sneaking into the attic and feeding his little sister. And all of the toys Lucy had allegedly hoarded from Evie's room? Claudia suspected they had been smuggled to the attic as well.

To be certain, Claudia crouched down and put her ear to the small door. She could faintly hear Jamie inside, singing a lullaby. And then she heard the unmistakable coo of Evie Newton.

Stepping back, Claudia tiptoed back down the hall and down the stairs.

"Mrs. Newton," Claudia announced. "I know where Evie is."

Moments later, Jamie Newton emerged from the attic with his baby sister. His face fallen with guilt as he saw his mother, Kristy, Dawn, Claudia and Stacey.

"I-I can't believe you did this, Jamie!" Mrs. Newton stammered. "I...I just can't believe it."

"I didn't hurt her, I promise. I was just hiding her and then I was going to be the hero. That's what he said to do."

"My baby!" Mrs. Newton grabbed Evie and cried tears of joy.

"It was his idea. He said it was okay," Jamie continued to explain as Mrs. Newton cradled a seemingly happy and healthy Evie, too wrapped up in the reunion to hear her son.

"Who is he talking about?" Kristy hissed.

"I don't know," an equally befuddled Claudia replied.

In an effort to respect the Newton family during the shocking and confusing time, the girls excused themselves and went to Claudia's house.

"I can't believe that just happened," Claudia marveled, knocking back a bag of M&M's like it was a cup of water.

"Something is definitely up, guys," Kristy insisted.

"Obviously," Stacey agreed.

"Jamie said someone told him to kidnap his own sister," Claudia recounted in disbelief. "But who?"

"And why?" Stacey added.

"Do you think it has something to do with Mary Anne? Does the person he was talking about have Mary Anne?" Dawn began to fret.

"Possibly," Kristy nodded.

"Geez," Stacey looked crestfallen. "That tracking app idea of yours would've really come in handy right now..."

"Yes!" Kristy squealed. "Stacey, that's it!"

The other girls exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"Mary Anne and I have the tracking app on our phones!" Kristy quickly explained as she pulled out her phone and began clicking through. "We both installed it so that we could show the rest of you how it would work. But since everyone was so opposed to it, we never got a chance to. So if Mary Anne has her phone, we can track her location."

"If she has her phone, wouldn't she have called or texted?" Claudia asked.

"Well...yeah. Unless she's incapacitated." Kristy pointed out as she looked intently at her screen.

"Anything?" Dawn prodded impatiently.

"Yes!" Kristy announced. "We found her! We found Mary Anne!"


	12. Chapter 12

"Go go go!" Dawn urged as the girls piled into Kristy's car.

"The dot shows her at the Mancusi's house," Stacey noticed. "Why would she be there?"

"The Mancusi's moved out weeks ago," Kristy reminded them. "That house is empty."

"So someone has her held captive there!" Claudia declared.

The short drive seemed to take forever as the sun began to slip down in the sky, a mere smudge of yellow in the dusty rose and amber skyline. With any luck, they'd have a little bit of daylight still when they got there.

"Should we call the police? Alec? Mary Anne's dad?" Claudia inquired.

"Not yet," Kristy insisted. "The person that took Mary Anne could be the person that's been texting us."

"New B," Stacey nodded.

"And I'd like to get to him or her first." Kristy disclosed boldly.

Despite all the lessons she should have learned, Kristy just could not hold herself back. Certainly she had grand intentions of giving this person a piece of her mind, reprimanding them for all the mental anguish he or she had inflicted on the BSC. Perhaps she even imagined a physical altercation, releasing all of the stress and anger that had been held in over the past several days. And she wasn't the only one.

"Let's do this," Dawn concurred bravely.

"This jerk is going down," Claudia added.

"Hell yeah!" Stacey chimed in.

"Oh, you're staying in the car, Stace," Claudia told her.

"What? Why?" Stacey whined.

"Because you have diabetes," Claudia reminded her. "You can't be involved in anything dangerous."

"Right," Kristy agreed. "You stay in the car and be ready to call the police if and when we need you to."

"Okay," Stacey conceded, used to the endless rules and restrictions of her illness. "I can do that."

Moments later, they turned onto the street. Kristy pulled over and parked in front of the Bruno's house next door.

"We don't want anyone to know we're coming," she explained. "We'll get out and sneak over to the Mancusi's house."

"Hey!" a perturbed voice called from nearby. Kerry Bruno was standing on her front porch, arms folded across her chest. "What are you doing?"

"No time to explain," Kristy, ever the alarmist, replied, "But you need to go inside and lock all your doors and windows. Stoneybrook isn't safe!"

Kerry looked momentarily stunned but quickly followed orders.

"My legacy will not be tarnished!" Kristy insisted. "I'm not letting Stoneybrook down!"

As dramatic as the statement was, no one could disagree. There were dark clouds over all of them. They all desperately needed a win. The BSC were nobody's victim. Not anymore.

Stacey stayed behind as Kristy, Claudia and Dawn crept stealthily between the houses and into the back yard of the house where Mary Anne's phone was pinging.

It was completely dark inside. No sign of anyone.

"Oh!" gasped Dawn.

"What is it?" Kristy hissed.

Dawn pointed toward the bushes along the back of the house. It was Mary Anne's phone, a red light blinking to indicate a low battery.

"Where is she?" Dawn cried. "Where is Mary Anne?"

Dawn lunged for the phone, but mystery buff Claudia smartly stopped her. "Don't touch anything. It's all potential evidence!"

"Okay..." Dawn, looking paler than usual, backed away.

"She wouldn't have just dropped her phone here," Kristy tried to stay calm and assess the situation.

"We have to let the police know," Dawn began to unravel.

"No one's calling the police," a voice boomed from behind.

The three girls whirled around to see a shadowy figure...in a black hoodie.

The low, drooping branches of the aged evergreen trees coupled with the deepening darkness of the moonless night completely obstructed the person's face. But there was no mistaking the voice. A voice they all knew too well.

It was Logan Bruno.

"What did you do?" Kristy demanded.

"You need to understand," Logan spoke slowly and calmly. "I never wanted to hurt Mary Anne."

"What did you do?" Kristy's voice became more shrill.

"I love her," Logan said. "I had to do it."

"What did you do?" Kristy echoed into the night.

"All of you are in danger," Logan taunted eerily. "You have to come with me."

Logan took two steps toward them. He began to reach out toward Kristy, who was set to respond with a roundhouse kick to the head, when a figure emerged from the bushes, illuminating the entire yard.

"Hands up!" Officer Derek Bilson commanded, holding a flashlight in one hand and a taser in the other. "Step away from the babysitters!"

"You don't understand!" Logan wailed.

"Hands in the air, now!" Derek instructed.

Logan complied, but continued to ramble, "You're all in danger!"

"He took Mary Anne!" Claudia told Derek. "She might be inside!"

Two more officers rushed into the yard and made their way to the back door. They forced their way into the dark house. Another officer began to question Logan about Mary Anne's whereabouts. But Logan wouldn't reveal anything, only repeating, "If I don't keep her safe, they will get her. They will get all of them."

"How did you know?" Claudia asked Derek as he placed handcuffs on Logan.

"I called him!" Stacey supplied, sauntering into the yard. "As soon as you guys walked away from the car, I saw Logan sneak out of his house. I knew he had to be the one who took Mary Anne."

Kristy, Claudia, Stacey and Dawn could do nothing but watch the officers' flashlights bouncing wildly as they looked through the house, room to room. Suddenly the lights disappeared as the cops moved to the basement.

Minutes might as well have been hours as the friends stood silently but fitfully, pacing and wringing their hands and biting their nails. Was Mary Anne in there? Was she okay? Was she...alive? But finally the two officers emerged with Mary Anne. She looked fine. Completely fine.

"She was locked in the basement," one officer said.

"I'm okay!" Mary Anne assured everyone. "He didn't hurt me."

"Mary Anne!" Claudia, Dawn and Kristy exclaimed in unison, hurrying toward their friend. "What happened?"

"Dru called and needed my help, so I went to the house where she was babysitting. It's just down the street. When I got out of the car, Logan grabbed me. He brought me here and locked me in the basement."

"So, you're okay?" Dawn clarified.

"I'm totally fine now that I'm free."

"You got here just in time," Claudia told Derek.

"Yeah," he smiled sheepishly. "I was actually in the neighborhood...parked at the corner...watching your house."

"My house?" Claudia was taken aback. "Why?"

"I...uh...I guess I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." Derek admitted.

"Oh..." Claudia replied, glowing red. "Thanks..."

"Anytime," Derek smiled, turning to lead Logan to the police car.

"Derek, wait!" Claudia, seizing the adrenaline of the moment, boldly called after him. "Do you maybe wanna go out sometime?"

Derek smiled, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Mary Anne!" Alec bounded into the yard. "Are you okay?"

Mary Anne fell into his arms as Logan watched, scowling.

"She's not okay," Logan ranted, clearly agitated. "They will not stop until they take them down!"

Alec ignored Logan and held Mary Anne even tighter. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I'm so sorry."

"I'm okay," she assured him.

"I'm never letting you go again!" Alec promised. "I love you!"

"I love you, too!"

Logan writhed in his handcuffs and started to object to Mary Anne being in another man's arms.

"Did you have something to do with Evie Newton?" Kristy butted in.

The police shot Kristy a look of annoyance, but turned their attention to Logan as if awaiting his answer.

"Did you tell Jamie to kidnap her?" Kristy demanded.

"What?" Logan seemed genuinely stunned by the information. "No!"

"Well, why did he say that someone -" Kristy tried to continue her interrogation before being quickly shut down by one of the policemen.

"We'll handle this, ma'am. We have to take him in custody now."

"But...but..." Kristy protested. She had so much more to say.

"Kristy!" someone called out.

She spun around for her eyes to confirm what her ears just heard. It was Dax.

"Are you okay?" he hurried over and scooped her up into his arms.

"Where have you been?" Kristy launched into him. "I've been calling and texting for days!"

"I was here. In Stoneybrook." Dax revealed.

"Why didn't you tell me? Where were you staying? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Because," Dax took a deep breath. "It would have ruined the surprise."

"Huh?"

"I didn't want it to happen this way, but I cannot wait a moment longer."

"What are you talking about, Dax?" perplexed Kristy asked. "You're not making any sense."

"I know," Dax agreed. "So much of life doesn't make sense. But you and I...we make sense. And maybe this is not the time or the place, but...I'm doing this."

"Huh?" was all Kristy could manage.

"I came to Stoneybrook," Dax smiled and dropped to one knee, pulling a small, black box from his pocket. "To ask you, Kristin Amanda Thomas, to marry me."

"Wow!" Stacey and Dawn exchanged teary glanced.

"I want that!" Stacey lamented.

"Me, too." Dawn agreed.

"I deserve that!" Stacey insisted.

"Me, too!" Dawn concurred.

"Life can be so messed up," Stacey sighed.

"Yeah," Dawn nodded.

"So, what's next?" Stacey asked. "Are you heading back to Cali to step back into your princess role?"

"Actually," Dawn flashed a sly smile. "A new friend of mine invited me on this really awesome group trip to Europe. I think I'm gonna do it!"

"Awesome!" Stacey enthused.

"You should go, too!" Dawn invited. "I mean, you and I both are kind of at a crossroads in life. It really is the perfect time, don't you think? Go out and see the world, get a new perspective?"

"You know what? Yes!" Stacey accepted. "I'm in! Let's do it!"

The two friends high-fived and rejoined the others. Claudia was in a blissful new crush fog. Mary Anne and Alec were locked in a loving embrace. Kristy and Dax were gazing at her ring, basking in the romance of being newly engaged.

"Okay, guys," Kristy announced. "This marks the absolute, official, 100% certain end of our version of the Babysitters Club. I am retired. Forever. From now on, Karen Brewer runs the show."

Everyone applauded. It was the end of an era. But it was time.

The stars were aligning. Evie Newton was found safe. The BSC were all finding love – or at least finding themselves. It seemed like for the first time in a long time, everything was right in the universe.

The group made their way to the front of the house.

"Well, guys," Kristy said, "I guess there's nothing keeping us in Stoneybrook anymore."

"Well, maybe Claudia!" Stacey teased, giving her pal a playful nudge. "Her future husband is on the Stoneybrook PD!"

"I can see it now," Mary Anne romanticized, "Claudia will be a published author with her hot cop husband...Kristy and Dax will be happily married..."

"Dawn and I will spend the summer in Europe and return with gorgeous Spanish hunks!" Stacey fantasized.

"Make mine Italian!" Dawn joked.

"Everything is falling into place!" Mary Anne smiled, resting her head on Alec's shoulder. "Finally."

"You've got to believe me!" Logan's voice shattered the happy bubble of the moment as he called out to them from the backseat of the police cruiser parked on the curb. "B is coming for you!"

"What is he talking about?" Stacey shook her head disapprovingly. "He's insane."

"B is never gonna stop," Logan screamed as his car began to drive away, "They're everywhere!"

"They?" Claudia commented. "Bizarre."

"He's crazy," Dawn muttered.

"Yeah," everyone chorused in agreement.

"We know you're B, Logan!" Kristy shouted after him.

But then the familiar chorus of beeps and dings and buzzes descended upon them and the five girls swiped their screens to access the 1 unread message:

 _Guess again._

 _-B_


End file.
